Study	Reason for exclusion
Bodenheimer 1983	Randomised clinical trial comparing quinacrine versus placebo in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
Cao 1996	Comparison between two case series of 143 patients treated with either Phyllanthus urinaria (a herb) or a compound of three herbs (Rhizoma Polygoni cuspidati, Chinese Taxillus twig, Astragalus membranaceus). The patients were 102 asymptomatic HBV carriers, 39 chronic hepatitis B, and two HBV‐induced liver cirrhosis. The outcomes were not reported separately.
Chen 1992	Comparison between two case series of 89 asymptomatic HBV carriers treated with either Jian Qi Ling (compound of herbs) or Ganbifu (compound of herbs) plus Mieaoling (compound of herbs).
Chen 2000	Randomised clinical trial comparing a compound of herbs (Chaoyang Wan) versus cinobufacin (extract of herb) versus non‐specific treatment in three groups. The participants were a mixture of chronic hepatitis B (n=160) and asymptomatic HBV carriers (n=20). The results were not reported separately.
Cong 1999	Randomised clinical trial comparing two herbal compounds (Yigan Qingjie recipe plus Yigan Fubu recipe) versus Weilining (commercial Chinese spelling name of a western medicine, no detail on its pharmaceutical name) plus anti‐hepatitis B immune ribonucleic acid (iRNA, an immunoregulatory agent) in 43 cases of HBV carriers.
Doshi 1994	Observational study on Phyllanthus amarus without control group in 30 asymptomatic HBV carriers. No patients lost their HBsAg during four to eight weeks treatment.
Guo 1998	Comparison between two case series of 25 asymptomatic HBV carriers treated with either Huangqi Jianzhong Tang (compound of herbs) plus Qixie granule (compound of herbs) or Huangqi Jianzhong Tang alone.
Lei 1999	Comparison between two case series of asymptomatic HBV carriers treated with either Shennongsu Ganbao (compound of herbs) or glycyrrhizin (a herbal ingredient from liquorice root).
Li 1997	Randomised clinical trial comparing Yigan Wan (compound of 28 herbs) versus polyinosinic and cytidylic acid (Poly I:C) in 60 asymptomatic HBV carriers. Both groups received the same co‐intervention (multivitamins). The trial showed better effects of the herbal compound on loss of HBsAg (16/30), HBeAg (23/30), and conversion of HBeAg to anti‐HBe (22/30) than of Poly I:C alone (7/30, 14/30, and 14/30, respectively) for six months treatment. The control intervention did not fulfil our inclusion criteria.
Li 1999	Comparison between two case series of 59 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 11 asymptomatic HBV carriers treated with either composita genus Phyllanthus (a compound consisted mainly of Phyllanthus) or IFN.
Li 1999b	Randomised clinical trial comparing Yigan Kangte capsule (herbal compound) plus thymosin versus Yigan Kangte capsule alone and versus thymosin alone in 90 cases of asymptomatic HBV carriers. The intervention with thymosin led to the exclusion. The comparison of Yigan Kangte plus thymosin versus thymosin alone showed no significant effects of the combination regarding loss of HBsAg (5/30), HBeAg (13/30) and HBV DNA (9/25) than thymosin alone (3/30, 7/30, 4/20, respectively).
Ma 1993	Randomised clinical trial comparing two different herbal compounds (composita Phyllanthus amarus tablet versus Mieaoling tablet) in 60 asymptomatic HBV carriers.
Mi 1999	Randomised clinical trial comparing Fuzheng Jiedu Tang (decoction of herbal compound) plus Poly I:C versus Poly I:C in 128 cases of asymptomatic HBV carriers. The control intervention did not fulfil our inclusion criteria. The trial showed better effects of the combination than of Poly I:C alone on loss of HBsAg (18/66 versus 2/62, P=0.003), HBeAg (16/34 versus 8/34, P=0.05) and seroconversion of HBeAg to anti‐HBe (8/34 versus 0/34, P=0.05).
Shang 1996	Randomised clinical trial comparing anti‐hepatitis B iRNA (an immunoregulatory agent) plus Qiang Lichun (herbal preparation) versus anti‐hepatitis B iRNA alone. The patients were 10 asymptomatic HBV carriers, 15 chronic active hepatitis B and 30 chronic persistent hepatitis B, but the outcomes were not reported separately in the two groups of patients. The trial showed significantly better effects of the combination than of anti‐hepatitis B iRNA alone on loss of HBsAg (14/26 versus 6/24, P=0.05), HBeAg (12/24 versus 3/20, P=0.03), and HBV DNA (12/28 versus 0/27, P=0.02).
Shen 1996	Randomised clinical trial comparing herbal compound (Hepatitis B II) versus other herbal interventions including Yunzhi Gantai, plus Aotaile or Yiganling (silymarin preparation) in 328 cases of asymptomatic HBV carriers and chronic hepatitis B. The trial showed significantly better effects of the herbal compound than other three herbs on loss of HBsAg (160/218 versus 28/100, P<0.00001), but not on HBeAg (120/184 versus 38/74, P=0.06).
Tajiri 1991	Observational study on Sho‐Saiko‐to (compound of seven herbs) without control group in children with chronic hepatitis B infection with elevated serum alanine aminotransferase.
Thyagarajan 1988	Randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial comparing Phyllanthus amarus versus placebo. The participants were 28 asymptomatic HBV carriers, 14 HBV carriers with symptoms and 18 HBV carriers with glomerular nephritis, but the outcomes were not reported separately. A letter has been sent to the authors and if we get useful information, it will be included in this review.
Wang 1999	Randomised clinical trial comparing cinobufacin (herbal extract) plus co‐interventions (compound Yiganling, Gantaile, vitamin B compound and C) versus the same co‐interventions. The participants were asymptomatic HBV carriers and patients with chronic hepatitis B, but the results were not reported separately.
Wang 1999b	Comparison between two case series of 72 asymptomatic HBV carriers treated with either a herb extract (Astragalus membranaceus) or saline.
Xu 1996	Comparison between two case series of 130 asymptomatic HBV carriers treated with integrated traditional Chinese medicine and western medicine.
Xue 1991	Comparison between two case series of 50 asymptomatic HBV carriers treated with either Chinese herbal medicine or IFN plus transfer factor (an immunoregulatory agent).
Yang 1992	Comparison between two case series of 130 asymptomatic HBV carriers treated with either Caiguang decoction (compound of herbs) or Shushe tablet (compound of herbs).
Yang 1996b	Non‐randomised study comparing a compound of 12 herbs versus another herbal compound (Fufang Shushe tablets) plus non‐specific drugs in 162 HBV carriers.
Zhang 1992	Randomised clinical trial comparing Phyllanthus amarus plus basic treatment versus Indigowood root plus basic treatment in chronic HBV infection.
Zhang 1994a	Randomised clinical trial comparing three different herbal medicines: Aotaile (herbal compound) granule versus Fugankang granule versus glycyrrhizin tablet (a herbal extract) in 90 cases of asymptomatic HBV carriers.
Zhang 1994b	Randomised clinical trial comparing a herbal compound (Kang Ao Yigan granule) versus Yunzhi Gantai (a herbal extract) in 334 asymptomatic HBV carriers.
Zhang 1995	Randomised clinical trial comparing a herbal compound versus Polyporus umbellatus polysaccharide (a herbal extract) in 60 cases of asymptomatic HBV carriers.
Zhang 1996	Randomised clinical trial comparing a herbal compound (Yigan tablet No 1) versus anti‐hepatitis B immune ribonucleic acid (an immuno moderator) in 150 asymptomatic HBV carriers.
Zhang 1999	Randomised clinical trials comparing ultra‐red irradiation therapy plus levamisole smear versus ultra‐red irradiation therapy alone in 75 asymptomatic HBV carriers.
Zhao 1991	Randomised clinical trial comparing different medicinal herbs and western medicines: agaric (a herb) plus agacore (another herb) plus hepatitis B vaccine versus agaric plus agacore plus BCG (Bacille Calmette‐Guerin) vaccine in asymptomatic HBV carriers.
Zhuo 1985	Non‐randomised trial comparing herbal compound 848 pill versus no treatment in two case series of 39 asymptomatic HBV carriers.